Roope Hintz

While Hintz maintained his top-line role in 2023-24, he wasn't quite as effective as usual. The 27-year-old posted 30 goals and 65 points over 80 regular-season contests, including 19 power-play points, but that meant he missed the 70-point mark for the first time in three years. Part of the dip in production was due to a better supporting cast -- Hintz's line had previously been relied on to carry the team's offense, but the signing of Matt Duchene and the emergence of Wyatt Johnston gave Dallas a balanced offense. Hintz is a critical factor in all situations, and while the team still has strong depth, it lost more than it gained this offseason, particularly with Joe Pavelski's retirement. Hintz always carries a high shooting percentage, so another 30-goal, 70-point campaign is a reasonable estimate for his production.

Likely the most complete player on the Stars' roster, Hintz's 2022-23 season was another excellent showing as the top-line center. He matched his career high with 37 goals, added 38 assists and went plus-31 while seeing key minutes in all situations over 73 games. There is some injury risk here, but that's a minor concern given his talent level and his familiarity with his linemates. Hintz will play much of 2023-24 at 27 years old, so there's still a chance he could take another small step forward on offense, though that would likely require a bit more ice time, which isn't likely to happen if head coach Pete DeBoer opts to roll four lines again. Fantasy managers can take him as a low-end No. 1 center with point-per-game potential this year.

Hintz averaged more than a point per game (43 points in 41 games) in the shortened 2020-21 campaign, and nearly matched that clip a year ago, finishing with 37 goals and 72 points in 80 contests. He added 213 shots on goal and 24 power-play points despite the fact Hintz saw 18 seconds less on average with the man advantage and 11 fewer seconds overall worth of playing time per game. Hintz will be 26 years old in the middle of November and should just be entering the prime of his career, making the big Finn a no-brainer fantasy option in the early rounds of fantasy drafts this coming fall.

Despite playing through a groin injury during the bulk of last season, Hintz produced at better than a point-per-game pace with 15 goals and 28 assists in just 41 contests. The injury made him a true game-time decision virtually every day, which likely frustrated fantasy managers who couldn't ignore his production. With offseason surgery, Hintz is expected to be good to go in 2021-22, and the expectation is for even stronger numbers from the Finn. He's shown the ability to maintain a shooting percentage north of 15, and that could translate to at least a 60-point pace as a top-line option for the Stars. He's also likely to play a large role on the power play and add at least one hit per game. It's not too much of a reach to snag the 24-year-old in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

Hintz made an impact in 2019-20, producing 19 goals, 33 points and 73 hits in 60 appearances with the Stars. He started the year on fire with 11 points in his first 16 games before regressing slightly. Still, the speedy forward showed what he's capable of. Hintz is likely to play in all situations in 2020-21 -- he had two shorthanded goals last year. The Finn should approach a 50-point pace and mix in a hit or two every game as well. He may not shoot 15.8 percent again this season, but he'll still be worth a middle-to-late round pick in standard fantasy formats.

Hintz spent most of the season on the Stars roster, playing 58 games in his NHL debut, and the 22-year-old remarkably posted identical scoring totals at both the NHL and AHL levels with nine goals and 22 points at each stop. As the campaign progressed, Hintz earned coach Jim Montgomery's trust and saw time on the power play, and he also began to use his 6-foot-3 frame more effectively, racking up 87 hits. He has the skills and tools to be an effective modern-day power forward, but his ascent to a consistent top-six role may have hit a snag when the front office brought in Joe Pavelski and especially Corey Perry over the summer. If Perry suffers through another injury-marred season, however -- or the veteran simply gets outplayed -- Hintz could still put together a breakout year.

A second-round pick in 2015, Hintz has yet to make his NHL debut despite some stints in the press box for Dallas last season, but that should change in 2018-19. The 21-year-old made a strong debut in the AHL, scoring 20 goals in 70 games, and while he doesn't play with the physical edge expected of a 6-foot-3 winger, his impressive hockey IQ and strong skating mark him as a future offensive threat and two-way player who could be an asset in a top-six role. Hintz may not be quite ready to handle a regular shift for the Stars, but with the team looking for some consistent secondary scoring, there will be opportunities for him to skate with the big club if he catches the coaching staff's eyes in training camp.